Preservation of food products



Patented Apr. 24, 1951 V Q NlTED STATES PATENT OFFICER:

' PRESERVATION OF FOOD PRODUCTS Lloyd B. Jensen, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Swift & Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois N Drawing. Application December 24, 1948, Serial No. 67,240

. s Claims. (01. 99-150) l V 4 2 a The present invention relates to the preparawere finely ground. The ground plant tissue tion and use of an antibiotic substance, and more was then placed in a flask and covered with particularly to the preparation and use of an acetone. The flask was held at room temperaantimicrobial substanceof plant origin. ture for approximately 24 hours and shaken at The invention contemplates the utilization of 5 intervals. The acetone layer containing the acean antibiotic substance naturally associated with tone-soluble constituents of the Grindelia plant tissues of the plant Grindelia sqaarrosa, known was separated from the insoluble material by to some as the broadleaf gum plant. filtration, and the acetone was distilled off under Therefore, an object of the present invention vacuum at 42 C. The residue was taken up in is to provide a potent antibotic substance of plant ethyl alcohol (95 per cent) so that 1 ml. of the origin; alcoholic extract contained the acetone-soluble A further object of the invention is to provide material in one gram of the original plant tissue. an antibiotic substance which is nontoxic to In order to evaluate the efiectiveness of the humans. antibiotic material in the alcohol solution ob-,

An additional object of the invention is to protained in accordance with Example I, the folvide an antibioticsubstance which is heat stable. lowing test was performed:

Another object of the invention is'to employ Serial dilutions of the extract were made in an antibiotic substance having an origin in a 10 cc. broth tubes and the tubes inoculated with vegetative plant as an effective preservative for bacteria. Each 10 ml. broth tube containedbe food products. tween approximately 30,000 and 75,000 cells of a In achieving the objects of the present invenfood poisoning strain of Staphylococcus aureas, tion, finely cut or ground flowering tops or dried Clostridium sporogenes, Bacillus m'ger, Achromoleaves of the plant Grindelia sqaarrosa are treatbacter perolens, Salmonelle typhimarium, and ed with a suitable nonaqueous, organic solvent, Pseadomona flaorescens. The tubes were allowed. such as acetone. The acetone layer containing to incubate at a temperature of 37 C; and were the constituents of the planttissue soluble thereinspected for bacterial growth at the end of 1, 2, in is separated from the acetone-insolublejfibrous 3, and 6 days. In Table I are tabulated the remass, the acetone removed therefrom; and the sults obtained with the aforesaid bacteria. 'The extract taken up in a carrier solvent, such as minus si in. Said table indicate 0 b ter al ethanol. growth, and the positive signs indicate the pres- The following example illustrates the preferred ence of viable bacteria at the incubation periods embodiment of the invention, and the tests fallspecified.

Table I Incu- S B Sal. Achro. OZ Dllutwn 5??? aareas m'ger 358 2%? 82 0;121:2 12? Controls 20 hrs v c n 1 r i s 1,000---. 2 3 r e I 1 2,000 2 3 6 ing thereunder illustrate the potency of the ma- The Grindelia antibiotic shows marked activity terial obtained in accordance with the processes against certain gram positive bacteria, although of the example. the data given in the above table indicate that Example- 50 grams of the flowering tops and 0 the efiects of the said antibiotic vary in potency dried -1eaves:cf{ the plant Grind elia s qaam osa when tested against different organisms. 'Ihus the extract kills Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus m'gcr in dilutions of 1 to 500 and Achromobacter perolens and Clostridz'um sporogenes in dilutions as high as 1 to 100 for limited periods of time. The bactericidal properties of the extract, lethally effective in the dilutions indicated for the various organisms, were demonstrated by inoculating nutrient agar plates with 0.1 cc. of the aforesaid dilutions which had been allowed to incubate for five days. After five days incubation of the inoculated plates, no viable bacteria were observed as a result of the transfers.

Although acetone is the preferred primary solvent, I have found that other organic solvents are suitable as the extracting solvent. For example, dioxane, ethyl acetate, and methyl ethyl ketone may be used. I have also found a water extraction of the antibiotic material to be ineffective as an antibiotic; apparently because of the proteinaceous material dissolved therein.

The heat stability of the antibiotic material was determined by heating portions of the material to temperatures of 60 C., 90 0., and 95 C. for 15, 1 and 3 /2 minutes, respectively, and then inoculating with Staphlococcus aureus. After incubating the material at a temperature of approximately 75 F.. for seven days, the lethal potency was 1:200 and the inhibition potency 1:500.

It is obvious that many variations in the solvent treating process may be advantageously employed. For example, since the antibiotic material isolated from the Grindelia plant is relatively heat stable, solvent temperatures may range from room temperature to boiling temperature of the solvent with consequent variations in extraction time. The higher the temperature, generally the less time is required for extraction. I have found it preferable to process the antibiotic substance contained in the Grindelia plant by a two-stage solvent process involving first treating the substance with a primary solvent which is substantially removed, and then taking up the resulting extract with another solvent so as to form a solution which is a conven- .i

ient form of using the product. I have found that acetone is a very effective primary solvent in producing the antibiotic substance from the plant tissue. After evaporating off the acetone, the preferred solution is made with a carrier solvent, such as ethanol, which may be consumed internally without them. By using ethyl alcohol, I also utilize its well-known properties, such as nontoxicity and ability to prevent contamination.

In the processing of food products, a serious problem is the preservation thereof; and although bacteria, the most common food poisoner is Staphylococcus.

The antibacterial substance of the present invention may be used to retard or prevent microbial growth in various food products, all of which tend to harbor pathogenic organisms in varying degrees. The antibiotic material disclosed herein, therefore, may advantageously be employed, for example, in treating meat products, such as ham, sausages, and canned meats; cream fillings for pastries, such as cream puffs, chocolate eclairs, custards, and the like; and canned vegetables to prevent swelling due to organisms, such as the genus Bacillus.

The invention will be more fully understood from the following description of methods of I using the antibiotic substance.

great strides have been made in improving the quality and keeping time of various food products by refrigeration, canning, curing, plant sanitation, etc., the problem of preservation of food requires the constant attention of the food processor to improve long-established methods of,

handler is food poisoning, which is often of an insidious nature because food products may be contaminated with one or more of the harmful bacteria referred to herein and yet appear organoleptically sound. Among the food poisoning As hereinbefore mentioned, I have found that the antibiotic reagent herein described is lethal to a number of microbes in a 1 to 1,000 dilution of the extract, the extract being of such strength that 1 ml. of the alcoholic solution thereof contained the acetone-soluble constituents in 5v grams of root. Therefore, the addition of 1 part of the solution to 1,000 parts of the conventional pickling solution will result in a meat product cured therewith which has a very marked increase in resistance to the development of pathogenic organisms.

The following is an example of a curing pickle stock, which may beused in a process for quick curing hams when provided with antibiotic substance in the proportion outlined above; that is, the antibiotic substance is added in an amount such as to. effect a 1 to 500 dilution of the antibiotic material of the arbitrary strength herein described (1 ml.=l g. of tissue).

To 100. gallons of a Salometer solution there are added:

'7 lbs. sodium nitrate 10 oz. sodium nitrite 20 lbs. sugar 378.5 cc. antibiotic solution a standard cream filling used in eclairs was inoculated with a bacterial solution containing 100,000 living Staphylococcus aureus 3-1 per 7 ml. and the filling incubated at a temperature between 75 F. and 80 F. The results of the tests are given in Table II.

Table II Incubated at 75 -80 F. Staphy- Dilution lococcus (S-l) per gram Antibiotic in cream filling 24 hrs. 48 hrs. 72 hrs.

Grindelia plant 1-100 16, 000, 000 No antibiotic 0 140, 000, 000 No staphyl0cocci 0 0 0 0 The foregoing tests indicate that the antibiotic preparation exerts a pronounced inhibiting acs step of adding to a food product a small amount of an alcoholic solution of antibiotic substance derived from the plant Grindelict squarrosa to preserve said food product against pathogenic bacteria responsible for food poisoning and spoilage.

2. In the process of quick curing meats, wherein a pickling solution is injected into said meat, the step of adding to said pickling solution a small amount of the antibiotic substance derived from the plant Grindelia. squarrosa by treatment with a non-aqueous organic solvent whereby the growth of pathogenic bacteria responsible for food spoilage and poisoning in the meat is substantially retarded.

' 3. In the process of preparing pastries containing fillings subject to spoilage by pathogenic bacteria, the step of adding to the said fillings a small amount of the antibiotic substance derived from the plant Grindelia squarrosa by treatment with a non-aqueous organic solvent whereby the growth of pathogenic bateria in the said fillings is substantially retarded.

4. A meat pickle including a small amount of an antibiotic substance derived from the plant 3 Grindelia squarrosa by treatment with a nonaqueous organic solvent.

5. A cream filling for pastries including a small amount of an antibiotic substance derived from the plant Grindelia squarrosa by treatment with a non-aqueous organic solvent.

6. In the process of treating food products, the step of adding to a food product a small amount of an antibiotic substance derived from the plant Grindelia squarrosa by treatment with a non-aqueous organicsolvent to preserve said food product against pathogenic bacteria responsible for food poisoning and spoilage.

LLOYD B. JENSEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 469,850 Chesebrough Mar. 1, 1892 2,084,864 Paddock June 22, 1937 2,098,110 Schertz et a1 Nov. 2, 1937 2,117,478 Hall -1 May 17, 1938 2,180,750 Urbain Nov. 21, 1939 OTHER REFERENCES Nature, May 13, 1944, vol. 153, page 598, article ntitled Antibacterial Substances in Green Plants.

Chemical and Engineering News, September 1945, page 1622, article entitled Penicillin as a Preservative.

The American Womans Cook Book, 1945, by

5 Ruth Berolzheimer, published by Consolidated Book Publishers, Chicago, page 475. 

1. IN THE PROCESS OF TREATING FOOD PRODUCTS, THE STEP OF ADDING TO A FOOD PRODUCT A SMALL AMOUNT OF AN ALCOHOLIC SOLUTION OF ANTIBIOTIC SUSBTANCE DERIVED FROM THE PLANT GRINDELIA SQUARROSA TO PRESERVE SAID FOOD PRODUCT AGAINST PATHOGENIC BACTERIA RESPONSIBLE FOR FOOD POISONING AND SPOILAGE. 